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On December 7, 2017, JK Rowling posted a lengthy statement on his website defending Johnny Depp, the actor chosen to play the infamous dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald in the “Fantastic Beasts” film franchise, which is part of the “Wizarding” Rowling’s World of Harry. Potter’s media stronghold. For over a year, Depp had been harassed by the headlines surrounding her disintegrated marriage to actor Amber Heard, who alleged that Depp had physically and verbally assaulted her on multiple occasions. Even before the #MeToo movement exploded in late 2017, many Rowling fans had made it clear how upset they were, after briefly appearing in ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ in 2016, Depp was about to hit the headlines. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald ”despite Heard’s claims.
In his statement – which was reinforced by similar statements from director David Yates and Warner Bros. – Rowling has sought to assure fans that while she understands and appreciates their concerns, “based on our understanding of the circumstances, the filmmakers and I are not only comfortable being true to our original cast, but really glad that Johnny is playing a major character in the movies. “
Almost three years later, on November 6, Depp announced on Instagram that Warner Bros. asked him to “resign” from playing Grindelwald in the third film “Fantastic Beasts”. “I respected and accepted this request,” the actor wrote. Warner Bros. confirmed Depp’s withdrawal with a brief statement, thanking Depp “for his work on the films” and confirming that “the role of Gellert Grindelwald will be recast”. While a source close to the production says Rowling signed Warner Bros. ‘decision, to date the author has yet to make any public comment on Depp’s departure from the franchise.
While “Fantastic Beasts 3” has been shooting for around two months largely in the UK, Depp left the project after filming just one scene, saving the production from resuming the expensive, Christopher Plummer-style shots. A replacement actor must, however, be found quickly. The most obvious candidate, Colin Farrell – who played a Grindelwald in disguise in the first “Fantastic Beasts” movie – is probably not available, Variety learned, given the demands of playing the penguin in “The Batman,” also currently in production in London.
So, what changed from the second to third “Fantastic Beasts” movies to cause Depp to quit? Three letters: AT&T.
On November 2, Depp lost his libel case against News Group Newspapers, which he sued in UK courts over a 2018 article in The Sun calling Depp a “wife beater.” Judge Andrew Nicol wrote that he concluded that the defendants had proved that what they had printed was “substantially true”, a finding that gives significant coverage to other British journalists to characterize Depp in a comparable way. (In his Nov. 6 statement, Depp said he plans to appeal the verdict in the trial and “prove the allegations against me to be false.”)
But while the lawsuit included disturbing new allegations about Depp – and Heard – the outline of Heard’s original abuse allegations from 2016 has not changed substantially from when Warner Bros. and Rowling chose to support the cast of Depp in “The Crimes of Grindelwald.” “
This movie, however, significantly underperformed in theaters when it opened in 2018, grossing $ 654 million worldwide, the lowest of any “Wizarding World” movie. It was also Depp’s last big studio film before “Fantastic Beasts 3”. That same year, on the other hand, Heard starred alongside Jason Momoa in “Aquaman,” the highest-grossing adaptation of a DC Comics property (yes, even more so than “The Dark Knight”). Heard is set to reprise the role next year in Zack Snyder’s HBO Max ‘Justice League’ miniseries, and the inevitable ‘Aquaman’ sequel.
More importantly, since the end of production of “The Crimes of Grindelwald,” AT&T has merged with Warner Bros. ‘parent company Time Warner, ushering in sweeping changes to what is now dubbed WarnerMedia, including new CEO Jason Kilar and new studio head Ann Sarnoff. Sources understanding how the company works say one of the most dramatic changes since the merger has been a general lack of tolerance for the type of controversy every major studio has had to face at one point or another in courting. mercurial – but historically popular – talent like Depp.
Furthermore, Depp is far from the only controversial figure to orbit the “Fantastic Beasts” franchise. Her compatriot Ezra Miller was filmed in April, appearing to suffocate a woman in Iceland, where Miller was on “Fantastic Beasts 3” before the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily halted production. Neither the studio nor Miller, who is also slated to be on Warner Bros. ‘The movie “The Flash” has yet to comment publicly on the video.
Rowling plunged into a nest of hornet controversy this summer when she repeatedly defended her views by questioning the facts of transgender identity, causing even more fans to question their loyalty to a franchise they have known since childhood. Warner Bros. responded to the outcry with a statement about “inclusion,” “a diverse and inclusive culture,” and valuing “the work of our storytellers” who never mentioned Rowling or trans people by name.
With so many clouds of controversy swirling around “Fantastic Beasts,” Depp’s trial verdict was apparently what the studio needed to finally free the actor. Nominally, whoever replaces him as Grindelwald would also have to commit to two more “Fantastic Beasts” films, as Rowling announced ahead of the debut of the first film that it would be a five-movie franchise. But “Crimes of Grindelwald” was a critical and commercial disappointment enough that the third film almost certainly needed to cast a mighty powerful spell with audiences for Warner Bros. Brass, and their AT&T bosses, see the franchise as worth the ongoing headache.
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